DS started to run a low fever yesterday, and today developed a scattering of red spots on his back, stomach, and one or two on his arms. Some of them look as though they are beginning to develop a small blister in the center. I'm not yet certain it's chicken pox, but am beginning to suspect it is. (We are vaccinating, on a delayed schedule, and DS was supposed to get his chicken pox vaccine last spring. He had a cold at the time, so we didn't get the shot. We called later to reschedule, but our pedi suggested we didn't need to come back until August.)

I'm a little freaked out, but know I had it as a child, and suffered no long term ill effects. Can anyone give me (or direct me to) some information about chicken pox that will settle my mind a bit?

He isn't showing any signs of itching yet.

We're still nursing. Is there a chance that if this is chicken pox, he will benefit from the fact that we are nursing (less severe, etc.)?

chicken pox rarely results in complications. i believe that since he is nursing it will benefit him during his bout with it. make him comfortable and let his body do its job. i agree with jen123 about limiting/abstaining from medications unless absolutely necessary. lots of fluids, keep nursing, oatmeal baths (the warmer the water the more the pox itch).

your son would have just as much chance of catching chicken pox if he was given the vaccine as if he wasn't. the vaccine only claims to make it a milder case, but it really isn't/wasn't that bad to begin with.

Why are you afraid of chickenpox? Honestly, and I mean this in the nicest way, that is silly. Your parents probably made sure you got chickenpox on purpose - they probably had you hug someone who had it, just so you'd get it over with. The only reason you're afraid of chickenpox is because someone made a vaccine for it, then told you it was deadly. Chickenpox is a mild disease, and it always was. The children who suffer severe complications from chickenpox are the children who have underlying health conditions, or who are on immunosuppressive drugs. Healthy children do not die from chickenpox.

Do not give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for any fever he may have. That greatly increases the risk of secondary infection of the lesions. Other than that, just make sure he's eating a healthy diet. And yes, nursing will help.

Can my kids come over?
I think my oldest may have a natural immunity to it. I purposely exposed him on at least 4 different occasions and he has never had it or the stupid vax.
I remember having it as a child and my mom putting lots of calamine lotion on me, making me a pallet bed on the floor in her room, having all the treats I wanted, oh and putting socks on my hands to keep me from scratching. I don't have a single scar from them either. I remember it as being fun. My younger brother wouldn't keep the socks on and he has gasp, 4 whole pox scars!

Really... just keep calamine on hand in case Evan gets itchy. Just "paint" the spots with it

In NZ CP is pretty common place and isn't even on our vax schedule yet, so parents just accept it as part of life. However, we're no longer recommended to use calamine as it dries out the skin more, making it itchy as it dries and may lead to scarring. I would go for oatmeal or some other soothing gel or even baking soda in a bath. Having not yet been through it with my kids, I can't speak from personal experience, just that what docs now say although calamine was a common remedy back when I was a child.

we have been through cp 3x now. i would be excited if i were you!!! Breastfeeding will give his immune system an extra boost!
ssssoooooooooo, the question all of us are wondering is:
WHERE do you live???

Oatmeal tied in a sock and then hung over the tap while you run the bath makes a lovely creamy soothing bath for dry itchy skin.
In England chickenpox is something that every child gets pretty much, its not a big deal. They do a calamine in an aqueous cream solution over there that is less drying and some people claim helps the itching. I don't know if you can get it in the US though.

Thanks for all the replies. For all those who were hoping their DCs could come over for a hug and a nice case of chicken pox, it appears as though it was a false alarm. Yes, he does have spots, but we ran into another mother from DS's daycare today whose son has been diagnosed with hand-foot-mouth. Aha! We said.

As to why was I anxious about it, not really sure, except that I hate to see DS sick with anything, and our pedi is a bit funny about the cp vax, having had two kids in his practice die of cp. All of which is to say - that's why I come here, for counterpoint to my rabidly pro-vaxing nurse mother and other irrational fears.

I currently have contagious chicken pox available in the Atlanta area. Not much interest ... I posted in the regional tribe too.

if only atlanta wasnt a 24+ hour road trip from me... SIL and BIL are coming with their 2 kids (ages 2.5 and 5 months) in the middle of aug. the older one had that wonderful vax of course. i would laugh my butt off telling SIL that dd has CP during their visit! (well, i wouldnt tell SIL directly since she is the "sheeple queen" and i'm not her biggest fan. i would tell MIL who would tell SIL, who would just freak out and quarentine her kids from my dd so that her kids wont DIE from CP. and maybe she would call her old ped up here and see if she could get the CP vax for the 5 month old so that he wont DIE. oh, and the 2.5 year old would definately need that new CP booster, just so that he wont DIE from CP. and yes, SIL seriously thinks like this.)
off to check my tribe to see if anyone has CP...